Protester With Gun Outside Obama Town Hall (VIDEO)

A man carried a handgun strapped to his leg to a town hall meeting being held by President Obama in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Tuesday.

It's legal for him to have the gun as long as it is unconcealed, the police told MSNBC. The man was on private property -- church ground on the roadway leading to the high school where Obama would speak. The church gave the man permission to be there. However, according to police officers, he is under constant surveillance and is not anywhere near where the president will speak.

Talking Points Memo points out that the man was carrying a sign referencing this Jefferson quote: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Hours before Obama was to arrive at Portsmouth High School, the road leading to the event site was lined with people - about 100 supporters of Obama's health care overhaul on one side and about half as many opponents on the other. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the president was prepared for possible disruptions.

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